I'm forgetful

Carly was so good to point out to me a couple days ago that I double posted about my last New York trip. Please see THIS post that I wrote a few days ago, and THIS post that I wrote in February for more information. Oops!

I have tons of stuff to post about but am having issues posting at home. Work really is a good place to post. But, when I want to post a picture it only works if I have them online. I suppose I could bring my camera/cord to work, but do I really want to have a bunch of pictures on my work computer? It's already slow enough.

On a really sad note, I dropped my computer yesterday and it's having issues. Not bad issues, just little issues. Like funny noises. But I think that's because of the workout DVD stuck in the disc drive that I'm kind of embarrassed about... (I don't really want anyone to see that I have Shape Magazine's Bikini Body workout in there--I wish it was something cooler like... hm... I don't know, something cool though.) I need to take it to a Mac Doctor. Maybe I'll call and get an appointment today...

PS- My parents are picking Jess up in two weeks. TWO WEEKS! That's 14 days! And when she finally gets back to Oregon, I'll be flying in a couple days later. I.cannot.wait!

At last

Since my family is currently on the train, on their way back to DC from NYC (where they ditched me to hang out with Carly and see shows while I went to work), I realized I never posted pictures from the last trip I took to NYC which was in January over the Martin Luther King Jr. Day three day weekend. Here are a few highlights of the trip:

On our way to brunch. Carly, me, Andrea and Erin, Liz took the picture. (If you recall, last time I was in NYC we stayed at Andrea and Erin's place.) We had a sleep over at the night I got in.


After brunch--which we ate at a delicious place somewhere and the title of the restaurant had the word "Good" in it (and it lived up to that) but I can only really remember the good part-- we went to see Next to Normal. A musical about a dysfunctional family. We enjoyed it. But we may have cried too.


Ah, Levain Bakery. The bane of my existence. If I live near it I'd be two things, 1.) fat as a whale, and 2.) broke because those puppies are expensive. But I love them. Best cookies ever. I dream about the Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip one. Perhaps I should never move to the Upper West Side...


And lastly we hit up Shake Shack before going to a movie. Yep, we went to a musical and a movie in one night. We saw The Lovely Bones and I think we were all a little scarred. Another highlight of the trip, was meeting the fella in the picture who I knew I'd meet someday...


I really do love New York. When I go visit I think, "Man I could definitely live here." But then I come home to DC and it feels like home too. And who wouldn't want to come home when they have what was in that box in their room? (Post coming soon. Promise!)

Jumping Pictures

(Emma)

We have a family Smugmug account. And I was looking through pictures of my family.
(1. Because I love them and may be a little obsessed. and 2. Because I'm bored and am procrastinating.)
Anyway, I found these fun pictures that were taken last summer when I had already moved out east.

Jumping pictures may be all the rage, but only Rach can do the leaping ones. And I'm jealous.

(Yes my mom used to be a cheerleader.
And yes Ellie (the dog) must be wondering what has overcome my dad, he usually doesn't do stuff like that.
Must have been a lot of coaxing.)


(Rach)

(Also, photo credits go to Emma. Except the one of her of course, that was probably my mom.)

Family

(Mom, Rach, me and Dad. Photo taken last summer in Montreal.)

This week my parents and little sister Rachel are here for Spring Break. (Though they will be spending three of those days up in NYC, my favorite playground.) But, they just called and have arrived in DC and are taking their naps in the hotel before meeting me for lunch and a half day at work. Lovely.

And as I looked for a picture to put up I found these funny/stupid ones we took while sitting bored in the car on that same Canada trip.

I can't wait for all my sisters to be home and in the country! And I'll get to see two of those away sisters one month from tomorrow in Oregon!
(Emma will be coming back from BYU Jerusalem and Jess will have been back a few days from her Singapore/Malaysian Mission.)

I'm bored and this is random

Today is fantastically warm. I'm not wearing tights. If I was a cute trendy blogger I would have taken a picture of my feet, (Example 1. Example 2. Example 3.), I did not.

I wore really cute earrings today. They must have nickel in them because my ears are itchy and it's sad. I think I'll coat them in clear nail polish. Hopefully that'll work.

Work was SUUUUPER slow today. I'm leaving a little early. I feel a little guilty about that. But, I'm really just sitting here doing nothing. Here is what I've done:

• Organized my desk.
• Small talked with the people who are actually here.
• Fixed my hair. Twice.
• Gone to the bathroom. Thrice.
• Filled up my water bottle. Thrice.
• Went with Amy and Lisa to pick up their Half-Marathon Packets.
• Fitted my new "yurbuds" to my headphones. (Bought them when we picked up the packets)
• Ate lunch
• Surfed the web
• Read the Overheard @ BYU page on Facebook
• Ran a memo downstairs.
• Emptied out my google reader a handful of times.

Seriously unproductive.

But I'm really bored. And the bored-er I get the less and less I want to be productive and the less and less I want to go to the gym.

Oh! Speaking of the gym, I was on the elliptical last night watching all the people milling around the bar downstairs when I saw my friend Rachel from Eugene (by way of Boston) walking up the path with her friend (the friend is in my ward). I jumped off the elliptical and went running out the door, stopping to yell her name from the stairway and then proceeding to give her an awkward hug (because I was sweaty, not because it was awkward). But, it's so fun to see her. She looked really cute and pretty and her hair made me jealous.

That's all. I'm leaving work early today so I can be motivated again to hit up the gym and then clean my room so it's nice and clean when my family flies in on Monday. Yay!

Also, I'm going to the Mat Kearney/Ingrid Michaelson Concert tomorrow. I'm really excited.

Someday I'll post pictures of my special package I got. I just really need to clean my room before you can see it.

(PS- Not my picture. I just needed something to make the blog look prettier. I got it HERE via google image search.)

Metro Mayhem

Yesterday when I got to the metro I couldn't find my wallet and subsequent metro card. So, I dug around for my wallet in my bag amidst all my stuff. And that's a lot. Here's what was in it:

• my umbrella;
  
• my lip bag (yep the little change-purse-like bag that has a handful of lip balms, lip tints, and chapstick in it, along with a roller perfume--or two-- and a little cash for emergency's);
  
• my hair bag (bag with bobby pins and ponytail holders that are essential since I tend to forget to have some when I go to the gym after work if my hair has been worn down that day);
  
• my work badge;
  
• my lunch;
• iPod;
  
• and two folding reusable grocery shopping bags.
  

What I really needed to do was find something to rest the bag on and then rummage around with it steady and not hanging off my arm in the air.

But, I didn't have time to do that. This is what happened:

1. I saw my train pull up to the platform.
2. I started hurrying because the next train is going to be much later.
3. I rummaged around.
4. My friend asked if I need help.
5. I handed her the shopping bags and my lunch.
6. My wallet fell out of the shopping bag (it got lost in one of the folds).
7. I quickly bent over to pick it up. (The train is boarding.)
8. And, everything fell out of my purse.

Did I mention that I was directly in front of the pay turnstiles?

9. So now really rushing, I threw everything in my bag.
10. I scaned my card, which was in my wallet.
11. It wouldn't scan.
12. I tried again.
13. And again.
14. And again.
15. I flipped the wallet over and repeat.
16. Still wouldn't scan and has the pesky, "See attendant" message.
17. The doors closed to the train.
18. I walked to the metro attendant defeated and have her fix my card.

The story wasn't that funny at the moment and I was really pretty late for work. Though my boss thought it was hilarious.

He's a loud laugher. It made me feel really funny.

(If you didn't think it was that funny just picture me trying to pick up all my stuff right in the middle of the walkway during rush hour. I wish I could have witnessed it, not experienced it.)

Pinch Me

I forgot to wear green today
even after I was reminded multiple times
at the gym this morning.
Oops!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day anyway!

29 and 38

Note: If your name is Michael B. Do not read this post.






29 Days until my parents see Jess in Singapore.



38 days until I see Jess in Eugene.



Am I excited?



A little would be an understatement.



(Thank you Jess for posting these hilarious pictures on Facebook ages ago.
They still make me laugh.
And apologies to Michael B for spoiling his no count down rule.
Because lets be honest Michael, there's no way you didn't read this post.)

Good, Bad, Great

Tonight after work I felt like I was riding a rollercoaster. Why? Because my emotions seemed to be all over the place.

Good: I left work and went to the gym. Lifted weights and did a light cardio. I really really really didn't want to go and almost talked myself out of it multiple times because I wasn't going to be able to work out that long since I worked a little late and needed to catch the movie. But, I made myself go and was happy and it was good. (That sounded a little like scripture language.)



Bad: The movie was Remember Me with Robert Pattison. He was actually attractive in the movie too. It didn't get good ratings, but most chick flicks don't get good ratings anyway right? So we went and saw it. It was good all the way to a point. I sat in the theater with a completely disgusted look on my face as my hand rested on my heart. I won't tell you what happens just in case you want to see it. I will tell you though that my favorite part of the movie was Tyler (Robert Pattison's character)'s relationship with his little sister Caroline.
We also decided to catch a movie after work on Mondays. It'll be our own little FHE. Yay!

Great: My lovely roommate Andrea was so kind to pick me up from the metro, I came home to this:

and Green Velvet Cupcakes.

P.S. Want to know what's in the package? Just you wait. But, I'll give you a huge hint: you sit on it.

Validation

I remember when I first got to the airport in Salt Lake preparing to go to Jerusalem. I knew two people on the trip. One I met in the MTC years ago (she went to Russia and had our classrooms on the same floor) and the other had moved into my ward just a few months before (though I had met him several times over the course of college since we had lots of mutual friends). In the airport I found myself meeting tons of new people. Most of whose names I couldn't remember that first day but only remembered what they were wearing, or some special feature they had (like Mandi's curly hair or Meg wearing a "Wal-Mart-T", which I instantly coveted or Caryn the girl from South Africa). My friend remarked that I made these friends quickly. He joked that all I had to do was compliment them on their shirt, hair, bag etc and we were instant friends. And, I think it's true. If someone compliments me or says something nice about me, I instantly have feelings of affection. (No this isn't a hint, but if you want to leave a comment with something nice to say, I won't say no...)

Anyway, my mom sent me the following short film. I think you should watch it even though it's kind of long.

It was fantastic.

I like how the video insinuates that the world would be a different (and better) place if there were more compliments, validations, and showing of love and affection.

And I completely agree.

And maybe I'll start really validating people on their character instead of only saying I like their shoes, dress, haircut, bag, earrings etc. It would probably make me happier and it would definitely make them happier.

Happy Weekend! I can't wait!

P-day

When I got onto the Metro this morning at L'Enfant Plaza I found a seat on the train. It was quickly vacated when I saw three sister missionaries and two elders get on. It was P-day and they were off to Arlington Cemetary to say good-bye to the "dying missionaries" (i.e. the missionaries who were going home).

And since today is sister Jess' P-day and I got a lovely email from her, I started thinking about my mission and P-days and all that jazz (because duh, we know I think about my mission).

Here is a quick note from her email:

I forgot to tell you last time about the deaf and mute guy that I contacted on the bus a couple weeks ago who's turned out to be awesome. I saw him with a huge smile when I got on the bus, which isn't that abnormal because a white girl with super curly light colored hair in the midst of a bus/city/country/region of the world completely filled with Asian people who range from super white skinned Chinese, to really dark Indians and East Indonesians, is always a sight for everyone to see... actually I'm knid of getting sick of it, especially at the bus terminal where everyone stares at us and sometimes make really inappropriate comments to us. The latest thing I've discovered is that all the men who work for the buses have a nickname for me: "rambut" which means, "hair" in Malay. Wow. Anyways, so this guy I sit next to him and he immediately turns away which is weird considering he was just smiling insanely, and then i start to talk to him, but he turns back and motions that he can't hear or speak, so I act out writing and he can, so we started writing back and forth and he wanted to meet again! So we met him at the church that week and had a lesson on the white board basically, watched the Joseph Smith video and he loved it so much. Lessons with him are awesome, becasue he takes notes and what we write on the board/half act out, and he tries really really hard to understand what we're teaching him, and you can literally SEE when he really gets something which is awesome.

And since I was thinking of my own P-days and wishing for one. Here are some lovely pictures from those lovely days.

(click to enlarge)

First row: Katowice-snow hike with branch; Krakow; Auschwitz
Second row: Warsaw-Majdanek; Lunch with sisters; bowling
Third row: Bydgoszcz-Baltic sea; Torun; Gdansk

I wish I could just take a P-day now! Oh wait, those don't happen in real life. Well, then, how about a sick day?

PS-I put the label nostalgia on this one, but I'm not really wishing to go back on my mission. I don't hardly think I wished to go back the minute I walked off that plane. Perhaps the nostalgia is for Poland and simpler times. Perhaps it's to go back and have the camaraderie of being on a mission. Perhaps it's missing all my mission friends, Americans and Poles. Who knows, but the nostalgia is not me wishing to go back and have grueling days of rejection.

Update

I've been slacking a bit on the blogging. Lets see, what's the quick update:

1. Went to the DC Independent Film Festival last Friday with Debbie. We saw Tenure which I thought was pretty hilarious. Luke Wilson looked cute too. And I haven't been thinking he looked very good lately in those AT&T commercials.

2. Went to the Young Single Adult Combined Ward Chili-Cook Off and Hoe Down. As I walked into the stake center I was shocked at how many people were there. They were getting the dancing started and there were about a hundred people dancing around doing dosey-dos and line dancing. It was so fantastically hilarious. Just so cliche Mormon. I didn't dance. I stood on the side and mocked it with my friend Erin. Did I wish I was out there dancing? Just a titch. But that was only because someone made the off-handed comment that this was how the Celestial Kingdom would be. (Too many women to men.) And that was depressing when I realized I was one on the sideline.

3. Watched the Oscars. Was extra happy about The Young Victoria winning best costume design. Wasn't very happy however about the acceptance speech. It sounded something like, "This is my third Oscar and since some of you will never get one, I'll dedicate it to you." Somehow that just struck me wrong. But whatever. I loved The Young Victoria.

PS. Did you know Rupert Friend is dating Keira Knightly? (It's true, Google it.) Apparently Wickham and Elizabeth get together after all!

4. Went to The Dairy Godmother last night with Erin for their flavor of the day. How much do you just love that name? I love my bus driver too. He stopped at my bus stop even though I was continuing on down the hill to meet Erin at her apartment. Isn't that so nice! I kind of felt bad I wasn't getting off! Now I feel like I have a chauffeur. And that's a good reason to ride the bus!

5. The weather has been so absolutely gorgeous! It feels like Spring! Though there may be some rain coming on, I'm ok with that when the weather is upper 50s and low 60s. It just seems heavenly after all that snow!

Remember how I'm a procrastinator?

Well, I procrastinated taking a document to another office for a day. That day turned into a week. And now it just bit me in the butt and I'm feeling really pretty terrible.

I hope your day is better! At least it's Wednesday afternoon, meaning the work week is officially over half way done.

Hurry up Spring!

Right now I think I have onion breath. I'm furiously chewing gum to try and rid my mouth of it. And will soon be brushing my teeth (with the toothbrush and toothpaste I have especially to reside at my desk) to try and cover up the odor as well. Against my better judgement today I got onions on my Subway sandwich. I thought, "Heck, I should just get all the vegetables!" (Without the olives of course.) Should have left off the onions too.

I went to see An Education this weekend. I recommend it. Actually, I recommend it to the right audience. If you're wondering if you're the right audience you can ask me. But if you read the synopsis and think it's too snitchy for you, I will tell you that it's not. And I was pleasantly surprised by that.

I'm sure you're wondering what the heck "snitchy" means. If you're not, you're either a) my mom, dad, sister, grandmother or b) a former roommate, current roommate, roommate of one of my sisters, or an almost roommate (that would be you Erin and Liz). Snitchy is my family word for anything inappropriate. It began when I was in Kindergarten and saw people kissing on TV. I ran to cover the TV telling my family not to watch because the people were being snitchy. (What a good little girl.) How is snitchy used in a sentence? Well, let me give you some examples.

Snitchy example #1
Situation: A scantily clad woman showing cleavage and lots of leg. (I'd find a picture if I wasn't worried about pulling up porn.)
Sentence: "Whoa, look at that woman's outfit! It's totally snitchy!"

Snitchy example #2
Situation: A love scene in a movie (I would also find a picture but I know this would lead to an inappropriate picture.)
Sentence: "I liked the movie but there was a really snitchy part in it."

Does that make sense? Anyway, An Education was way less snitchy than I was expecting. What does that say about me? That I'm totally ok with snitchy movies? Hm... I don't know. But, I will tell you that the movie is PG-13 and I liked it.

I also saw Invictus last night for FHE at the Drafthouse (a movie theater that's also a restaurant). I liked it. And proceeded to grill my rugby playing friend on the metro this morning on all the rules of the game. All I knew from going to the one rugby game I went to in college was that they lifted guys up by their tiny shorts and they do that huddle thing called the scrum. Now I am semi-equipped to understand a game.

And lastly, it's March and I'm ready for Spring to be here. Please don't snow again. I've had my snow days. I'm ready for sunnier weather.